Murray is a Scottish surname and given name of Norman origin. It is derived from the Old French personal name Morel, which is composed of the elements "mor" meaning "dark" or "sea" and "-el", a diminutive suffix. The name was brought to Scotland by the Normans in the 11th century during the Anglo-Norman conquest of England.
The surname Murray became prominent in Scottish history through the Murray family, who weredescendants of Freskin de Morville, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror in his invasion of England. The Murray clan played an important role in Scottish politics and warfare, with some notable members including Sir Andrew Murray, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, and John Murray, the 1st Duke of Atholl, who was a prominent Jacobite during the 17th century.
The name Murray has been used as a given name for centuries, with some famous bearers including Scottish poet Sir David Murray (1840-1928), American actor Bill Murray (born 1950), and Australian cricket player Glenn McGrath (born 1970). Today, Murray remains a popular choice for parents looking for a strong, historic name with Scottish roots.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name Murray in the United States:
From 1913 to 1952, there were a total of 94 babies named Murray born in the U.S. The most popular year for the name was 1927, with 12 births. This is also the only year that the number of Murray births reached double digits.
The years with the highest number of Murray births after 1927 were 1941 and 1942, each with 7 births.
There were several years with only one Murray birth: 1913, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1922, 1926, 1929, 1930, and 1949.
It's fascinating to see the fluctuations in popularity of this name over these decades.